As if being down 2-0 to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Semifinals wasn’t enough, the NBA has suspended Los Angeles Lakers’ Ron Artest for Game 3 of their series versus the Mavericks for “introducing” Mavericks’ JJ Barea to his forearm:
Again, the Lakers are down 0-2 in the series and as the scene shifts to Dallas, being without Artest will only compound the pressure on the Lakers from not falling 0-3 in the series. Something no team has come back from in NBA history.
And should the Lakers lose Game 3, some of the finger pointing will be directed at Artest’s lack of composure in Game 2 along with the sub-par play of Pau Gasol. The Mavericks’ guards are absolutely shredding the Lakers’ defense as the case was in Game 2 where Barea was waltzing into the paint for easy scores. Sure, it may have been a frustration foul on the part of Artest but seeing how he is Los Angeles’ primary perimeter defender, the Lakers may be in for a long night tomorrow.
Oh and let’s not forget, Artest was the receipient of the 2010-11 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. Way to go Ron!
